


The Stars Watch Over Us All...

by Raptorclaw



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-28
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:54:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27242266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raptorclaw/pseuds/Raptorclaw
Summary: Callum and Rayla finally meet a Startouch Elf in Callum's quest to find the Star Arcanum. Older even than Aaravos, this ancient being partakes his wisdom to the young pair before he passes on.The boy who was once only able to crawl on the ground with the rest of his kind suddenly sprang into the sky and kissed the moon. And now he calls to the stars.
Relationships: Callum/Rayla (The Dragon Prince)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 36





	The Stars Watch Over Us All...

Callum and Rayla could hardly believe their eyes. They had found a Startouch Elf here in this cave on one of the most remote islands in the entire world.

The elf must have been the most ancient in the entire world. His horns were larger than even Aaravos' and curled around his head almost like a crown. His white hair was uncut and flowed down past his waist and trailed across the floor from where he sat, thin and bony legs crossed in front of him. His eyes were closed, but his long ears twitched as he heard the pair approach.

"I have long waited for you to arrive." The man's voice was soothing and calm, not as rich as Aaravos', but far more peaceful.

"You knew we were coming?" Rayla asked.

"Indeed, child of the moon. Even now that my eyes are lost to me, I still watch the stars. The stars tell me many things that would remain hidden from others who have not the patience to learn what they have to say."

"Then...you know why we're here," Callum guessed.

The old Startouch Elf let out a deep sigh. "How long has it been since the stars first told me that a human would one day be born who was destined to wield magic?" The old elf chuckled. "It has been far too long. To answer your question, human mage, I do indeed. The stars have told me of your struggles and your accomplishments. You have done well, especially since your foe was the Fallen One."

"You mean Aaravos?" Rayla asked.

This time, the old Startouch Elf's sigh was sorrowful. "I was a young elf when I taught that child. He was always too brilliant for his own good. He saw too far. By the time my vision had reached a comparable level, his plan was already in place. He believes that the world is out of balance, that he alone can restore it. But balance always comes through the world, not through human, elvish, or draconic hands."

"We can't wait for the world to right itself," Callum objected. "I need to learn the Star Arcanum so I can stop him."

"Stop him?" The old elf stroked his chin. "Certainly, you can try. But if you truly wish to save what you hold dear, then you must realize that there is more than one solution to any problem."

"What are you saying?" Rayla demanded.

"Patience, child," the old man told her.

"Don't tell me to be patient!" Rayla shouted. "I've been trying to be patient my entire life! When I was a kid, it was waiting for my parents to come home and see me again. Then when I thought they failed, it was waiting for a chance to prove myself. Then after we saved the Dragon Prince, it was waiting for everyone to start getting along, and then when I discovered what happened to my parents it was waiting until someone found a way to free them! I've had enough waiting!"

Rayla began to tear up as everything that had led her and Callum to that point finally began to take its toll on her. Callum held her as she struggled to control herself. When she finally began to calm down, Callum sat her down on a rock near the entrance of the cave and approached the old Startouch Elf.

"That child has been through much," the old man said.

"More than she deserved," Callum asserted. "She's lost everything, more than once. But she's strong. She'll be fine eventually."

"From what I've seen, you're no stranger to that yourself."

"No. I'm not."

The old elf chuckled again. "And it made you even stronger. The boy who was once only able to crawl on the ground with the rest of his kind suddenly sprang into the sky and kissed the moon. If it is you, the Stars are not beyond your reach."

"What must I do, Master?"

The old elf smiled. "You will find that if you look a little closer, everything you need is already within you. But I suppose I can give you more of a hint than that. What do you think the stars are?"

"They're...lights in the sky. You can only see them at night."

"And why is that?"

"Because...the sun is too bright for us to see them when it's still out, right?"

"Correct. Speaking of the sun, what do you think it would look like if it were farther away? Much farther away."

Callum pondered this for a minute, but he didn't wonder long before he said, "Are you saying that-?"

"Yes. The sun itself is a star. It is simply the one that is closest to us. All the rest are immensely far away, so far in fact that the light from the sun is enough to blot them out. But when the sun sets, and it grows dark once more, the stars' light can once again shine through."

"I think I understand," Callum told him.

"Then allow me to continue. A very long time ago, I happened upon an incredibly rare phenomenon. A streak of light blazed across the sky and landed on the earth, a long way away from me. When I sought it out, I found a stone unlike any other. It contained metals and other materials that are so incredibly rare that they are only found in stones such as the one I found, stones that fall from beyond the sky to the earth. Now, I want you to guess where these stones come from."

"The stars?" Callum inferred.

"You are half right," the old man replied. "I believe these stones to be created by stars that have long since lost their light and faded. Indeed, three hundred years ago, I was lucky enough to witness one such event. A star very far away suddenly flashed with a light almost as bright as the full moon, and then faded away into nothing. If stones such as the one I found that fell to the earth long ago are created by stars, then is it not logical to assume that the earth could have been created by a collection of these stones?"

"Then the earth is made of bits of dead stars?" Callum concluded.

"Not just the earth," the old elf told him. "You and me as well. We are all made of stardust. And every time we look up at the stars, they remind us through their steadfastness how fleeting our lives truly are, and they remind us when their times are up that everything, no matter how great or small, near or far, everything must someday come to an end. Even I must someday rest. And I fear that day is not long now."

"What?" Callum exclaimed, suddenly jumping to his feet. "But-isn't there something we can do?"

"No need to shout, my child. I have known for a long time that this would be my final great gift to the world; to give the knowledge of the Star Arcanum to one such as yourself. I am glad that my time will come soon. Without death, life has no meaning. In a way, this is the greatest lesson that one can learn from the stars. Do you know what a miracle it is to be alive? The trees grow, put out flower and seed, and spread to grow new woods to create homes for creatures from the tiniest ants to the largest dragons. The greatest miracle that even magic cannot replicate is the miracle of life. No matter how fleeting or hopeless it may seem, it is still a miracle to be alive, and all of it is made of stardust."

"So that's what you meant," Callum concluded. He laid a hand on his chest, feeling his beating heart. He'd already focused on many different parts of himself in order to connect to the other Arcana: his breath for the sky, his bones for the earth, his blood for the ocean, his mind for the moon, and his energy for the sun. If he and everything else was made of stardust, then even star magic was already within him, not just channeled through a specific part of himself, but in every single part of him...?

Lights turned on in Callum's mind as he suddenly realized what the old Startouch Elf had just taught him. He set his face. "I understand."

"Then you must move quickly," the old elf told him. "I do not have enough time left in me to teach you anything of the magic related to the Star Arcanum. You will have to discover that on your own. If you set off now, you will be able to make it back to the continent before the coming storm. Even without the Sky Arcanum, I can feel it in my bones. Once you have returned, you must put a stop to Aaravos' plans. He believes what he is doing is right, but just like many, he has lost his way. There is a chance that you may correct his path once more."

"I will. I promise," Callum told him.

"Good. Now go!"

"Yes, Master! Thank you!"

Callum sprang up and dashed away to where Rayla, his beloved, was waiting for him. Once they were outside the cave, Callum summoned his mage wings and leapt once more into the sky.

By the time the couple reached the mainland, all six faces of the Key of Aaravos shone like the stars themselves.


End file.
